Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi to 'show his innocence' in autobiography - Times Online

Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi to 'show his innocence' in autobiography - Times Online: "Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber, is writing his autobiography to “proclaim his innocence” by disclosing new information behind Britain’s deadliest terrorist attack, The Times has learnt."

Lutherans lift barrier for gay clergy -- latimes.com

Lutherans lift barrier for gay clergy -- latimes.com: "The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is the second major Christian group in a month to liberalize policies on the ministry."

UK to share fingerprints with Canada, Australia - ZDNet.co.uk

UK to share fingerprints with Canada, Australia - ZDNet.co.uk: "The Home Office has started sharing fingerprint data with Canada and Australia for the purpose of checking deeper into the backgrounds of migrants under suspicion."

Father still seeking Lockerbie truth after 20 years - Telegraph

Father still seeking Lockerbie truth after 20 years - Telegraph: "Unlike many of the American families of victims on the flight from London to New York — and, indeed, President Barack Obama — Swire was vocal in applauding the release of the only man convicted of the outrage, Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, who is terminally ill.

“I am a Christian, so I would hope that, even if I was convinced that Megrahi was guilty, my Christian compassion and forgiveness would extend to wanting to see him die with his family around him in Libya,” he says. “But I am convinced Megrahi is innocent.”"

DNA could be faked by criminals, new study claims - Telegraph

DNA could be faked by criminals, new study claims - Telegraph: "In experiments, a team of Israeli scientists were able to obliterate all traces of DNA from a blood sample and add someone else's genetic material in its place.

The process was so successful that it fooled forensic scientists who carry out DNA fingerprinting for American courts.

The findings threaten to undermine the key forensic technique, which has secured thousands of convictions in Britain and around the world."

Exposure to nanoparticles is related to pleural effusion, pulmonary fibrosis and granuloma -- Song et al., 10.1183/09031936.00178308 -- European Respiratory Journal

Exposure to nanoparticles is related to pleural effusion, pulmonary fibrosis and granuloma - European Respiratory Journal: "Polyacrylate, consisting of nano particles, was confirmed in the workplace. Pathological examinations of patients' lung tissue displayed non-specific pulmonary inflammation, pulmonary fibrosis and foreign-body granulomas of pleura. By transmission electron microscopy, nano particles were observed to lodge in the cytoplasm and caryoplasm of pulmonary epithelial and mesothelial cells, but also locate in the chest fluid. These cases arouse concern that long-term exposure to some nano particles without protective measures may be related to serious damage to human lungs."

Mexico Legalizes Drug Possession - NYTimes.com

Mexico Legalizes Drug Possession - NYTimes.com: "MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico enacted a controversial law on Thursday decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and other drugs while encouraging government-financed treatment for drug dependency free of charge."

Families' reaction: 'Too many questions are still unanswered' - Home News, UK - The Independent

Families' reaction: 'Too many questions are still unanswered' - Home News, UK - The Independent: "In contrast to their American counterparts, relatives on this side of the Atlantic have remained sceptical of the evidence brought against Megrahi and voiced support for the decision to release him, although they spoke of their frustration that his decision to abandon his appeal may mean the true culprits are never brought to justice."

Cannabis treats prostate cancer, study finds

Cannabis treats prostate cancer, study finds: "Following the growing interest in medical benefits of cannabis, a new study finds that the compound can help fight prostate cancer."

Paul Armentano: If Pot Prevented Cancer You Would Have Read About It, Right?

Paul Armentano: If Pot Prevented Cancer You Would Have Read About It, Right?: "Writing in the August issue of the journal Cancer Prevention Research, investigators from Rhode Island's Brown University, along with researchers at Boston University, Louisiana State University, and the University of Minnesota reported that lifetime marijuana use is associated with a 'significantly reduced risk' of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma."

420butts - Marijuana’s Impact On Brain Function “Minimal,” New Study Says

420butts - Marijuana’s Impact On Brain Function “Minimal,” New Study Says: "Investigators concluded, “Minimal evidence of major effects of cannabis on brain structure has been reported,” noting that Marijuana users and controls perform similarly on cognitive tasks."

Pictured: Incredible watercolour paintings by boy aged just SIX | Mail Online

Pictured: Incredible watercolour paintings by boy aged just SIX | Mail Online

Council for Secular Humanism

Council for Secular Humanism: "Incredibly, President George W. Bush told French President Jacques Chirac in early 2003 that Iraq must be invaded to thwart Gog and Magog, the Bible’s satanic agents of the Apocalypse.
Honest. This isn’t a joke. The president of the United States, in a top-secret phone call to a major European ally, asked for French troops to join American soldiers in attacking Iraq as a mission from God."

Popular Insect Repellent Deet Is Neurotoxic

Popular Insect Repellent Deet Is Neurotoxic: "ScienceDaily (Aug. 6, 2009) — The active ingredient in many insect repellents, deet, has been found to be toxic to the central nervous system. Researchers say that more investigations are urgently needed to confirm or dismiss any potential neurotoxicity to humans, especially when deet-based repellents are used in combination with other neurotoxic insecticides."

The World's Rubbish Dump: A Garbage Tip that Stretches from Hawaii to Japan | CommonDreams.org

The World's Rubbish Dump: A Garbage Tip that Stretches from Hawaii to Japan | CommonDreams.org: "Curtis Ebbesmeyer, an oceanographer and leading authority on flotsam, has tracked the build-up of plastics in the seas for more than 15 years and compares the trash vortex to a living entity: 'It moves around like a big animal without a leash.' When that animal comes close to land, as it does at the Hawaiian archipelago, the results are dramatic. 'The garbage patch barfs, and you get a beach covered with this confetti of plastic,' he added."

Samuel S. Epstein: An Overdue Ban On A Dangerous Sweetener

Samuel S. Epstein: An Overdue Ban On A Dangerous Sweetener: "Under the explicit provisions of the 1958 Delaney Law, which requires an automatic ban on carcinogenic food additives, it is anticipated that Dr. Margaret Hamburg, the newly appointed FDA Commissioner and inspiring public health advocate, will promptly ban the continued use of aspartame."

White House calls Ahmadinejad elected leader of Iran | Reuters

White House calls Ahmadinejad elected leader of Iran | Reuters: "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House called Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the 'elected leader' of Iran on Tuesday when asked whether President Barack Obama recognized the Iranian president after the country's disputed election."

Herbal remedy really does cure a cold - Times Online

Herbal remedy really does cure a cold - Times Online: "Fans of echinacea have long sworn that it can ward off the common cold, a claim that has been dismissed this as a matter of faith. Now scientists say that the herbal remedy really works, giving believers the pleasure of watching the cynics swallow their words. An analysis of the evidence has found that taking the remedy more than halves a person’s chances of catching a cold and shortens the length of a cold by an average of 1.4 days."

Researchers produce cells they say are identical to embryonic stem cells - Los Angeles Times

Researchers produce cells they say are identical to embryonic stem cells - Los Angeles Times: "Scientists in China use cells from adult mice to breed new mice. The breakthrough results are hailed as an advance toward eliminating the need for fetal stem cells in a variety of applications."

Researchers Find Caffeine Effective Alzheimer’s Treatment

Researchers Find Caffeine Effective Alzheimer’s Treatment: "While a number of advanced Alzheimer’s drugs and treatments have been developed in recent years, University of Florida researcher Gary Arendash believes coffee drinkers -- and other caffeine consumers -- are not just protecting themselves, but actually treating symptoms that might appear.

“The study gives evidence that caffeine may be a viable treatment for established Alzheimer’s disease and not simply a protective strategy,” Arendash said."